- Stephanie Moore experienced layoffs in 2021 and 2022.
- She’s applied to over 200 jobs since her last layoff and hasn’t landed any full-time work.
- Moore continues to network, apply for jobs, and give her best shot to stay positive.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Stephanie Moore, a 28-year-old marketing professional from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
I got laid off in June of 2021 when the startup I was working at could no longer fund my marketing position. I spent the next six months taking on contract marketing jobs before securing another full-time role in December 2021.
Then, I got laid off again — but this time, I never found another full-time job.
Since then, my life has been an emotional roller coaster. I’ve applied to over 200 jobs, been on unemployment and food stamps, and in October 2024, I had to move back in with my parents. The job market has felt different, but I’m staying resilient and taking it day by day.
The current job searching process can feel mentally exhausting
After my first layoff, It only took about six months to find and start my next job. The job market felt light and the hiring process at my next place of employment only took about a month and a half.
Since my second layoff in September of 2022. I’ve gone through multiple monthslong hiring processes with up to six rounds of interviews, an assignment, and a reference check, just for them to go with another candidate.
For example, I applied for a marketing job in Atlanta, and I completed a phone screening, a long-form interview, and an assignment to create and present a strategy outline.
After spending hours creating a 40-slide deck, I drove two and a half hours to meet the team in person at their Atlanta office. I really thought it went well, but I got ghosted. I only received a formal rejection when I followed up via email a week later.
Even my contract opportunities are dwindling
In early 2024, I typically had between 100 and 140 hours of contract marketing work monthly from two companies. In a matter of months, my contract for one company ended, and the other dropped from between 50 and 60 hours a month to just six in January.
My supervisor told me some clients were leaving, and there wasn’t much work to give. I’m still applying to contract jobs while looking for full-time work but both have been scarce.
I had to move back in with my parents
I had lived alone in an apartment in Alabama since October 2022 and got on food stamps and unemployment shortly thereafter. I did everything I could to hold onto my apartment, but when I received a notice on my door in June 2024 that the rent was going up, I had to make a hard decision to move home with my parents, who also live in Alabama.
Moving home was a rough transition for me because I felt like a failure — like I let myself down. There are still days when those feelings of self-doubt pop up, but I’m trying to give myself as much grace as possible and remind myself that I’m doing my best by networking, applying to jobs, and giving it my best shot.
Alabama isn’t where I want to stay, but it’s hard to imagine starting a new chapter with looming financial insecurity, debt, and no full-time job in sight.
Some days are dark, but I’m still trying
There are definitely some days when I feel sad, numb, and apathetic, but there are other days when I find the momentum to network, apply for jobs, and do it all. The biggest thing that has helped me is learning to be still and not feel like I always have to be productive.
The internalized pressure to do more all the time honestly overwhelms me and burns me out. I have to remind myself that so much of the job search process is out of my control.
I’m taking it day by day and being patient with myself in moments I just want to give up.
If you’re experiencing long-term unemployment and would like to share your story, please email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.
